Plastic Soup
"...estimates the waters of Tampa Bay contain four billion particles of microplastics, raising new questions about the impact of pollution on marine life in this vital ecosystem."

Sampling
"...they set about counting microplastics in the region at 24 stations over a 14-month period."

Results
"On average, the study found four pieces of microplastic per gallon of water at all sites, and more than 600 pieces of microplastic per pound of dry sediment. Extrapolating those findings to the entire Tampa Bay estuary, the researchers estimated there are approximately four billion particles in the water and more than 3 trillion pieces in surface sediments."

Widespread Distribution
"Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 1/8 of an inch, barely or not at all visible to the eye. They come from the breakdown of larger plastics, such as water bottles, fishing gear and plastic bags, or from synthetic clothing and other items that contain elements of plastic. Previous studies have found these particles in every ocean on the planet and even in the Arctic."

Local Distribution
"...the largest concentrations of microplastics in water occurred after intense and long rainfall events, while in sediments the greatest amount of microplastics were located close to industrial sources."

Effects
"Since particles are similar size as plankton, filter feeders such as oysters, clams, many fish and some birds ingest microplastics, allowing them to enter the food chain. Persistent organic pollutants, including toxic pesticides, and metals can stick to their surfaces, making ingestion potentially that much more damaging. Effects include cellular damage, reproductive disruption and even death."

Too Many People, Too Much Waste
"The study revealed that the predominant type of these tiny particles in Tampa Bay - in both water and sediment - are thread-like fibers that are generated by fishing lines, nets and washing clothes. Synthetic fibers are released from clothes while they are being laundered, discharged to wastewater treatment plants and eventually released into the bay. "

Big Problem
"This is a very important study in that it is the first for our region and shows the extent of the problem."

Next…
"The next largest source are fragments that come from the breakdown of larger plastics."

Solution?
"Although it is tempting to clean up the mess, it is not feasible to remove these particles from the water column or separate them out from sediments."

One Way Out
"Only by removing the sources of plastics and microplastic particles can we successfully decrease the potential risks of plastics in the marine environment."

Bottom Line

The only solution is to significantly reduce the sources of plastic, which means bringing our population back down under sustainable limits that can be supported without being forced to resort to deploying throwaway, disposable plastic products. This is necessary because it is the only way to reduce, and eventually terminate, these massive flows of plastic into all of our ecosystems.

The vast impoverished populations we have imported over the past fifty years have made it necessary to cheapen every product, as the wealth of each, "citizen," (consumer?) has declined as the reduction in wages, quality of life, and reduction in the overall status of the American Working Class forced by mass immigration and offshoring has forced the use of cheap, throwaway, one-time use plastic products to replace the effectively recyclable metal and glass products that could be, and was afforded and supported by the American Middle Class before their destruction.

Mass culture, and its disgusting patterns of destructive mass consumption must be brought to a rapid end, if we want to save anything of our traditional and ancient Natural World...

Our Plastic Reality

A Sample of Recent Research

Plastics Contain Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals which leach out as the plastics degrade in the environment or in guts of creatures in the local food chain.

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